If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

My first step is : how to attach armor on the flakvest ?
I saw differents methods. Some members use velcro but i have a friend who have an biker scout costume and he always has problems of armor parts which fall.
Perhaps the velcro he uses is bad but as my armor is in fiberglass, i cannot allow that a part falls.
So i'm going to use bolts.
The most difficult, i think, is to transfert correctly the marks between the vest and the armor.So i decided to make a pattern using cardboard :
1 - I put the collar on cardboard and i drew the outline of the part.
2 - I cut the shape leaving about 2 centimeters around .
3 - Then i use a wet sponge to soften the cardboard until it have consistency of dough. I use clamps to maintain the cardboard on the collar until the drying is complete (a airdryer is a good idea to make drying quickier).

4 - When drying is complete, i draw outline of the collar again and i cut the shape :
and here's a copy of the collar at no cost.

5 - But, for me, the rigidity was not sufficient so i try to use a product to harden damaged wood. I tried this product last summer to fix a door and it worked very well. It's make with epoxy resin very liquid so it penetrates in the material.

with a brush, i dabbed the cardboard until it's filled with product(i use plastic film to protect the collar).
I have to wait 24 hours before testing it

Another question cames regularly is : what colors may i use ?
And at this point the stormtrooperguy's tutorial is very useful. But in my country, i can't find rustoleum paints.
So i decided to use other spray cans. My first idea was to use my aerograph but i'm not certain of the result on large areas like backplate.The second reason is that i will use the costume for trooping and i'm not sure that humbrol paint is sufficiently resistant.
I found a brand which have a cool range of colors : Molotow.

To make correspondence between molotov and humbrol/rust-oleum paints, i use this site :Hunt Club Green Satin Ceramic Paints - 249074 - Hunt Club Green Paint, Hunt Club Green Color, Rust-Oleum Satin Porcelain, Pottery, Bisque, Greenware Ceramic Paint, 39564C - Art-Paints.com
There is a large database for colors of differents brands. For each, they give the RGB or CMYK codes.
For example, the Rust-oleum Hunt club green have CMYK(76, 47, 65, 35). Using Photoshop, i see that Black forest green of Molotow have CMYK(80, 44, 72, 35).
Or another color : summer Rustoleum Summer squach and Molotow Cashmere yellow
I'm not certain if it's a good method but with weathering, difference between colors may be reduced.
I think i will buy a can to test it and see if it's compatible with others brands (like humbrol). There is another interesting point with rattlecans : there's a great choice of caps so you can paint easily large or little area.

Greetings in all!
I continue to make my armor cardboard-copy.
The result with the damaged wood product is great but i think it will be the same using starch for clothes. The copy has a correct rigidity to report holes on the vest
I think i will use product on the other side of the collar in the same time i will use it for the next part.

today i copy a chest part in the same way. To go faster, i plunged directly the cardboard in a basin of warm water during 5 min. I use presses again during drying for the cardboard takes the shape.

Most (if not all) of the info is from TDH compiled by a member here and is very good for everyone who want to start a paint job.

So far the armor looks good and (as always) you take your time with great patience to prepare all the parts of that particular build. Can't wait to see the attachment method applied to the armor and vest. And of course the paint job...

thats some smart thing with cardboard armour templates! saves a lot of hassle for that way of attachment, but i have chosen rare earth magnets, like the idea of no corrosion as with the humidity during the wet it will stain things.

Thanks a lot bros!
I greatly appreciate your comments. You are really kind people!
@ Rafal : hi Rafal! always happy to see you! I will do as well as i can but for painting i know that i can count on your stencils and it's for me a considerable help.
@ Roba : i read your method of fastening in a thread and i think it's a brilliant idea. As i said in my first post, i have a friend who have problems with his scout trooper armor. I think that's you give me the solution...thanks

So here's the situation today :
The last two parts are drying and i will use my wood product this week end before making holes and make transfert to the vest.

I start to work on the collar/backplate attachment using this thread :collar and backplate (Rafal was even here to give the solution !)
So i searched in my garage and i found this part :
At the beginning, it was a bar to hang on curtains and i cut 4 parts of about 5,2 centimeters ( 2in).
I epoxied them 2 by 2.

After i mark center of holes 1 centimeter (0.4 in) by leaving of each extremity. Using a metal drill bit of the same diameter than the bolt, i made the holes.

I turned back the parts and i use a drill bit to make a hole of almost the same diameter of the head of the bolt.

So heads of the bolts will be invisible. I just have to expoxy them but before, i want to transfert the holes on the cardboard pattern to make them correctly on the armor later.

Hi everyone!
Today i decided to place the nuts into the studs.
1 - I marked the center of each stud
2- I prepared the drill bit with a piece of tape to see when the depht would be sufficient.
3 - I made the holes and put in each a very tiny amount of epoxy filler to place correctly each nut.
4 - When dry, i filled aroud the nut with epoxy filler and sand it
i just have to primer them and correct the lacks of filler.

Minor update today,
I have finished the studs
After filling around the nut, i primered them
and after 2 layers of silver :

... and the last layer WHITE: one stud with red on top (changed its place from outer right to inner left) and there was one 'optional' gray stud (outer left - cape stud) that was present only on the hallway scene (remnants of the Pre-Pro #3 suit) ==> Shoulder stud color question?.

Thanks Rafal!
I've never seen that's the studs were white. Ok i will correct this.
Undoubtedly, no detail escapes you...

So today i worked on the collar. It's time to begin the attachment.
My first step is to attach collar and backplate.
1 - I use a stud that i aligned with the edge of the right side of the collar. Then i make a mark.

2 - I did the same thing at the other extremity of the right side

3 - I draw a line between the two marks

4 - I put correctly the metal bar and mark the center of the holes

5 - Then, using the first line, i drew a second one at a distance equal to half the width of the stud. I put back the location of the holes.

Tomorrow i will make the hole and mark the location of them on the backplate.

Sorry for this long silence but i had a lot of work and not a lot of time to make my costume. So now i will try to post regularly pics of my progress.
I will start now with some pics i took in december when i was trying to adjust the collar and backplate :
When marks on collar are done, I make the holes and test fitting with the metal plate

With the help of my wife, i put backplate and collar on me and use holes on collar to make marks on backplate.

I'm glad you're back with your armor prep work! Everything looks great (also love that quick peak on the helmet paint job) and I can't wait to see the armor painted and attached to the vest! Just keep up the awesome work!

Aha, I've finally figured out what you painted onto your cardboard armor templates to stiffen them up! PC Products 16 oz. PC-Petrifier Wood Hardener-164440 at The Home Depot I have some of RKD's armor coming sometime in March, and I was fretting about getting the bolt-eyelet attachment alignment right. Any progress/luck with your attachment method, StrumFett?

Thanks for your interest Necronaut. I just start to mke attachment to vest. I hope it will be usefull for you.

I'm glad you're back with your armor prep work! Everything looks great (also love that quick peak on the helmet paint job) and I can't wait to see the armor painted and attached to the vest! Just keep up the awesome work!

Thanks a lot Rafal! I'm always happy to have your comments on my works and also your precious advices.

Hi !
Today, i started fastening bolts on collar :
First, I used epoxy dough, flattened with the box.
With an eyelet, i pick small amount of dough and i put it on the marks on collar.
I put the bolts on the dough and quickly put the cardboard pattern on bolts to be sure that the arrangement of the bolt will be correct.
I just have to wait drying.
Note : Depending of flatness of the back of collar (fiberglass like mine are less regular than vac formed one's) bolts can take differents angles. It isn't a big problem because most part of the bolt will be cut (i think i'll just keep 5 millimeters)